Influence of bio fillers on the characteristics of Luffa acutangula fiber reinforced polymer composites and parametric optimization using Taguchi technique.

Developing novel materials is an essential requirement in the engineering field. This study investigates the effects of incorporating wood dust particles on the mechanical and erosive wear properties of Luffa acutangula fiber (LAF)-reinforced phenol-formaldehyde composites, fabricated using the hand layup method with a constant 20% fiber content and varying wood dust particle contents of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%. Using the Taguchi method, the study identifies the optimal combination for minimizing erosive wear - 20% wood dust content, 45 m/s impact velocity, 60° impingement angle, 600 μm erodent size, and 60 mm standoff distance-achieving a minimum erosion rate of 189.

Pickering Emulsions: Role of Particle Wettability and Adhesive Force on Droplet Bridging.

This study demonstrates the engineering of bridged Pickering emulsion (PE) gels by tuning the particle position at the interface and adhesive forces. This is achieved through controlled surface modification of hematite particles using oleic acid in a water-decane system. Microscopy observations revealed that the droplets are stabilized through a bridging mechanism, where oil droplets are connected by a shared monolayer of particles, with an intervening water layer between them.

Deep learning model using continuous skin temperature data predicts labor onset.

Background: Changes in body temperature anticipate labor onset in numerous mammals, yet this concept has not been explored in humans. We investigated if continuous body temperature exhibits similar changes in women and whether these changes may be linked to hormonal status. Finally, we developed a deep learning model using temperature patterning to provide a daily forecast of time to labor onset.

Improved nutritional and functional properties of plant protein isolate blends through steam infusion: A study on chickpea, brown rice and defatted peanut protein blends.

This study examined the impact of steam-infusion on defatted peanut (Pn), chickpea (Cp), and rice (R) protein isolates (PI) and their blends. Steam infusion significantly increased protein content (up to 83.13 % in PnPI, 75.

Cytokine levels in the severity of falciparum malaria: An umbrella review.

This study aimed to synthesise evidence comparing the levels of cytokines in severe falciparum malaria with those in uncomplicated malaria from available systematic reviews and meta- analyses. Relevant individual meta-analyses were searched in PubMed, Ovid, and Google Scholar, following the selection criteria specified for this umbrella review. The AMSTAR-2 tool was applied to grade the quality of the meta-analyses identified.

Polymer-Mediated Crack Suppression in Deposit of Nanoellipsoids.

Uniform distribution of particles and crack suppression in dried particulate deposits are major challenges for applications in coating and printing technologies. To address this, we investigated the impact of the addition of a water-soluble polymer, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), on the evaporative self-assembly and kinetics of crack formation in deposits of anisotropic colloids. The fluid flow inside the drying drop is significantly altered due to polymer-mediated adsorption of ellipsoids to the drop surface.

Investigating the optical and electrical performance of rod coated silver nanowire-based transparent conducting films.

Silver nanowires (Ag NWs) are highly promising building blocks for developing transparent conducting films (TCFs) due to their high electrical conductivity and good optical transparency. The large-scale production of Ag NW-based high-quality TCFs using low-cost processing methods can replace the traditional oxide based TCFs. Therefore, developing a reliable technique for large-scale fabrication of Ag NW-based TCFs is vital.

Association in Like-Charged Surfactant-Nanoparticle Systems: Interfacial and Bulk Effects.

The association of similarly charged surfactant molecules and nanoparticles in an aqueous solution remains unresolved, and the understandings reported in the literature are conflicting. To address this issue, we undertake a fundamental study to investigate bulk and interfacial phenomena in binary mixtures of (i) positively charged nanoparticles and cationic surfactants and (ii) negatively charged nanoparticles and anionic surfactants. We find that the surfactant molecules adsorb on the surface of the nanoparticle despite similar charge, leading to supercharging of particles and simultaneously driving more surfactant molecules to the air-dispersion interface.

Soft colloidal monolayers with reflection symmetry through confined drying.

Colloidal monolayers serve as fundamental building blocks in fabricating diverse functional materials, pivotal for surface modifications, chemical reactivity, and controlled assembly of nanoparticles. In this article, we report the formation of colloidal monolayers generated by drying an aqueous droplet containing soft colloids confined between two hydrophilic parallel plates. The analysis of the kinetics of evaporation in this confined mode showed that: (i) for a significant portion of the drying time, the drops adopt a catenoid configuration; (ii) in the penultimate stage of drying, the catenoid structure undergoes division into two daughter droplets; (iii) the three-phase contact line remains pinned at a specific location while it continuously slips at all other locations.

Factors Affecting Survival in Severe and Very Severe COPD after Admission in ICUs of Tertiary Care Centers of India (FAST COPD): Study Protocol for a Multicentric Cohort Study.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, there is a lack of comprehensive data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) regarding factors influencing COPD outcomes, particularly in regions where biomass exposure is prevalent.

Objective: The Factors Affecting Survival in Severe and Very Severe COPD Patients Admitted to Tertiary Centers of India (FAST) study aims to address this gap by evaluating factors impacting survival and exacerbation rates among COPD patients in LMICs like India, with a specific focus on biomass exposure, clinical phenotypes, and nutritional status in patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Evaluating the Therapeutic Effect of Hispidin on Prostate Cancer Cells.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the primary treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PCa). However, prolonged ADT inevitably results in therapy resistance with the emergence of the castration-resistant PCa phenotype (CRPC). Hence, there is an urgent need to explore new treatment options capable of delaying PCa progression.

Deficiency of m A RNA methylation promotes ZBP1-mediated cell death.

m A RNA methylation suppresses the immunostimulatory potential of endogenous RNA. Deficiency of m A provokes inflammatory responses and cell death, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here we showed that the noncoding RNA 7SK gains immunostimulatory potential upon m A depletion and subsequently activates the RIG-I/MAVS axis to spark interferon (IFN) signaling cascades.

Primary life cycle inventory data for cement production, with relevance to sustainability assessment-Indian cases.

The data provided is primary data related to cement production collected from the six different cement plants in India. This serves as the inventory for conducting material flow analysis, supply chain forecasting, and life cycle assessment of cement and concrete systems. The dataset is given in three data sheets with information relevant to the steps followed in line with the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, i.

Drying-Induced Flash Nanoprecipitation in a Sessile Drop: A Route to Synthesize Polymeric Nanoparticles.

Flash nanoprecipitation is a simple and scalable method to produce nanoparticles by rapid mixing of a polymer solution with an antisolvent. High-speed mixing devices for the continuous synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles and drug-encapsulated nanoparticles have been designed. In this work, we demonstrate a different approach to induce flash nanoprecipitation using the differential evaporation of solvents in a sessile drop.

Nebulized hypertonic saline and positive expiratory pressure device use in patients with bronchiectasis: Analysis from the United States Bronchiectasis and NTM research registry.

Background: Nebulized Hypertonic saline (HS) and positive expiratory pressure device (PEP) are often used in patients with bronchiectasis. We sought to describe the clinical characteristics in patients using HS and PEP, utilizing a large national database registry.

Methods: Data from the US Bronchiectasis and NTM Research Registry were used in this study.

Demulsification of Pickering Emulsions by Chemical Dissolution of Stabilizers.

Demulsification of particle-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions is crucial in diverse fields such as treatment of produce water, recovery of valuable products of Pickering emulsion catalysis, and so on. In this work, we investigated a facile method for destabilizing emulsions by dissolving stabilizer particles by the introduction of acid or base. Nanoellipsoidal hematite-stabilized decane-in-water emulsions are destabilized by dissolving hematite with oxalic or hydrochloric acid in situ.

Quantifying the Microstructure of Dried Deposits Using Height-Height Correlation Function.

Colloidal self-assembly has garnered significant attention in recent research, owing to applications in medical and engineering domains. Understanding the arrangement of particles in self-assembled systems is crucial for comprehending the underlying physics and synthesizing complex nano- and microscale structures. In this study, we introduce a novel methodology for analyzing the spatial distribution of particles in colloidal assemblies, focusing specifically on quantifying the microstructure of deposits formed by the evaporation of colloidal particle-laden drops.

Computer-Assisted Surgery in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Our Experience.

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a reliable orthopedic procedure for knee osteoarthritis with long-term success rates of 90% after 15 years. Computer-assisted surgery (CAS) has been developed to improve the accuracy of the alignment and orientation of the components in TKA.

Methods: A prospective study involving 103 subjects who underwent CAS-TKA was conducted over a 3-year period.

Five-Year Outcomes among U.S. Bronchiectasis and NTM Research Registry Patients.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are prevalent among patients with bronchiectasis. However, the long-term natural history of patients with NTM and bronchiectasis is not well described. To assess the impact of NTM on 5-year clinical outcomes and mortality in patients with bronchiectasis.

Role of C4d immunohistochemical marker in the diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid: A cross-sectional study.

Objective To determine the diagnostic utility of C4d immunohistochemical marker in cases of bullous pemphigoid by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Methods We conducted an exploratory study (retrospectively and prospectively) from January 2017 to June 2022. All direct immunofluorescence proven cases of bullous pemphigoid were included in the study while cases with inadequate tissue for immunohistochemistry studies were excluded.

Single-Step Formation of Pickering Double Emulsions by Exploiting Differential Wettability of Particles.

We present a modular single-step strategy for the formation of single and Pickering double emulsions (DEs). To this end, we consider the role of surface modification of particles and their dispersibility in different phases in the context of the design of Pickering emulsions by varying the volume fraction of oil in the oil-water mixture (ϕ) used for emulsification. In particular, the experiments are performed by considering (a) model spherical and nonspherical colloids of different wettabilities which are tailored by oleic acid treatment, (b) immiscible liquids with or without particles, and (c) varying ϕ from 0.

Structural and sequence analysis of the RPO30 gene of sheeppox and goatpox viruses from India.

Sheeppox and goatpox are transboundary viral diseases of sheep and goats that cause significant economic losses to small and marginal farmers worldwide, including India. Members of the genus (CaPV), namely Sheeppox virus (SPPV), Goatpox virus (GTPV), and Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), are antigenically similar, and species differentiation can only be accomplished using molecular approaches. The present study aimed to understand the molecular epidemiology and host specificity of SPPV and GTPV circulating in India through sequencing and structural analysis of the RNA polymerase subunit-30 kDa () gene.